Rabbi Chaim Shaul HaCohen Dwek - Rosh Yeshiva of "Beit El" - was born in the Syrian city of Aram-Tzova (Aleppo/Halab).Yahrzeit - 4 TevetResting place - Har HaZeitim Road, Jerusalem;He was born in the Syrian city of Aram-Tzova (Aleppo/Halab). From his youngest years he began studying the hidden parts of the Torah and earned a reputation as one of the most authoritative kabbalists of his generation.
Sipurei Tzadik
A Lock of Women's Hair
After completing his studies, Rabbi Dwek headed the community of his native city of Aram-Tzova, in which about ten thousand Jews lived.In the late 1880s, under the influence of foreign travelers, a new fashion spread in Aram-Tzova - women began letting locks of hair show from under their head coverings.Rabbi Dwek demanded that the women give up this fashion, which contradicted the laws of the Torah. He explained that according to the principles of Kabbalah, immodesty in the dress and appearance of women causes a judgment of condemnation to be issued in Heaven against the entire community. He also warned that if the situation was not corrected, he would leave the city - for a rabbi whose words are not heeded cannot remain the head of a community.Having become convinced that the women of Aram-Tzova still preferred the demands of fashion to the demands of halacha, Rabbi Dwek indeed left the city. That very night a great fire broke out in Aram-Tzova, destroying most of the Jewish homes and claiming human lives. The leaders of the community immediately recognized the hand of Heaven in what had happened and, having found Rabbi Dwek, asked him to return - but he refused (Ikveta DiMeshicha 188).Soon after this, in 1890, Rabbi Dwek moved to the Land of Israel. He joined the studies at the Jerusalem Yeshiva of kabbalists "Beit El," and over time became the head of that Yeshiva.Weeping for the TempleRabbi Shaul Dwek would usually pray at the Kotel and also traveled to plead for the coming of Mashiach in Hebron. When the Rabbi went blind, his grandsons accompanied him on his travels. One of them related that his grandfather always asked to be led to the entrance of the Temple Mount. There the Rabbi would stop, repeat a passage from the Mussaf prayer - "And we cannot go up" - and his weeping shook all who heard it.Once, an Arab of dignified appearance happened to be nearby. He stopped, gazing in astonishment at the weeping rabbi. When the Rabbi finished his prayer, the Arab turned to him with a question: "What were you praying for, Rabbi, and why did you shed tears like water?""I was praying to G-d, asking for the redemption of my people from the heavy exile under the yoke of the gentiles," was the answer. These words touched the Arab's heart, and he, extending his hand to the rabbi, offered to go up to the Temple Mount and pray there. The rabbi answered, his voice trembling: "Only the One who distanced our people from the Temple will take me by the hand and bring me back there - together with all the people of Israel."In 1896 he founded a new Yeshiva, "Rechovot HaNahar" (Expanses of the River), located in the Bukharim quarter, outside the walls of the Old City. In this Yeshiva, which became the main center for the study of Kabbalah in the holy city, Rabbi Dwek for many years passed on his knowledge to select students, among whom were representatives not only of the Sephardic community but also of the Ashkenazic community.He wrote "Eifah Shleimah" (A Complete Measure), in which the kabbalistic teachings of the Arizal are explained.Rabbi Chaim-Shaul Dwek passed away in Jerusalem on 4 Tevet 1933, at the age of 80.May the merit of the tzadik protect our people!
